Goin? Downtown

A number of towns across the country, especially inner suburbs,
are turning dying regional malls and old strip malls into
pedestrian-friendly Main Streets with unique character.

In the Denver suburb of Lakewood, the Villa Italia mall was
knocked down this summer and the vast parking lot ripped up. Work
crews are now laying down a grid of streets. Over the next several
years, a true downtown will rise up along those streets, one with
offices, homes, sidewalk caf?s, a cinema, a town green, and, of
course, shopping. It will be the downtown that this suburb never
had. As Mayor Steve Burkholder described the community planning
process that led to this project, Lakewood?s citizens wanted not
just a shopping spot, but also a place to hold a parade when the
high school basketball team wins the state championship.

A trade magazine for state and local government
officials, Governing offers some of the best coverage
around on community issues and urban planning. Subscriptions:
$19.95/yr. (12 issues) from Box 2030, Skokie, Il 60076;
www.governing.com